Empire State Of Mind
The Pop Heroes Lyrics

Yeah!
Excited interjection to start off the song

Yeah, I'm out that Brooklyn, now I'm down in Tribeca
I'm no longer in Brooklyn, now I'm in the more ritzy neighborhood of Tribeca

Right next to DeNiro, but I'll be hood forever
I may be around celebrities like DeNiro, but I'll never forget my roots

I'm the new Sinatra, and since I made it here, I can make it anywhere, yeah they love me everywhere
I'm like the new Frank Sinatra and since I've become successful in New York, I can succeed anywhere and I have fans everywhere

I used to cop in Harlem, all of my Dominicanos, right there up on Broadway, pull me back to that McDonald's, took it to my stash spot, 560 State Street
I used to buy drugs in Harlem from my Dominican friends and near the McDonald's on Broadway, then go to my secret place on 560 State Street

Catch me in the kitchen like the Simmons' whipping Pastry, cruisin' down 8th Street, off-white Lexus, drivin' so slow, but BK is from Texas
You can find me in the kitchen whipping up pastry like the Simmons family, cruising in my off-white Lexus slowly but representing Brooklyn like I'm from Texas

Me, I'm out that Bed-Stuy, home of that boy Biggie, now I live on Billboard and I brought my boys with me
I'm from Bed-Stuy, where Notorious B.I.G. lived, but now I'm on the top of the Billboard charts and I have my crew with me

Say what up to TyTy, still sippin' Mai Tai's, sittin' courtside, Knicks & Nets give me high five
My friend TyTy and I are still drinking Mai Tais and sitting courtside at Knicks and Nets games, getting high fives from players

Nigga, I be spiked out, I could trip a referee, tell by my attitude that I'm most definitely from...
I'm wearing a lot of flashy jewelry and I'm so confident that I could easily argue with and possibly trip up a sports referee. My confidence is a sign that I'm from New York

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothin' you can't do
New York is like a jungle of concrete where you can accomplish anything if you work hard enough

I love New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
I have a deep love for New York City, the streets make you feel like you're starting fresh, the bright lights are inspiring, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York

Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game, shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can
You might catch me at Yankee Stadium with OG, but I've made the Yankee hat more popular than the team itself

You should know I bleed blue, but I ain't a Crip though, but I got a gang of niggas walking with my clique though
I am a die-hard fan of the New York Yankees, but I'm not a member of the Crips gang, although I have a group of friends that I roll with

Welcome to the melting pot, corners where we sellin' rock, Afrika Bambataa shit, home of the hip-hop
Welcome to the diverse melting pot of cultures in NYC, where drug dealers hang out on street corners and where hip-hop originates from, like Afrika Bambataa

Yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back, for foreigners, it ain't fair, they act like they forgot how to add
You can choose from a yellow taxi, a gypsy cab or a dollar cab, foreigners who don't speak English has a hard time getting around because locals tend to take advantage of their inability to communicate

8 million stories, out there in the naked city, it's a pity, half of y'all won't make it
There are 8 million stories in the city, but it's a sad reality that half of the people won't be able to survive

Me, I got a plug, Special Ed, I Got It Made, if Jeezy's paying LeBron, I'm paying Dwyane Wade
I have connections through rapper Special Ed, so I'm taking advantage of that. Just like how Jeezy is providing money for LeBron, I'm doing the same for Dwyane Wade

Three dice Cee-lo, three card Molly, Labor Day Parade, rest in peace Bob Marley, statue of liberty, long live the World Trade, long live the king yo, I'm from the Empire State that's
I'm playing games of Cee-lo with three dice and three card Molly, showing respect to Bob Marley during the Labor Day Parade, and honoring the Statue of Liberty and World Trade Center, I'm from New York, where the king (presumably Jay-Z) reigns

Lights is blinding, girls need blinders, or they could step out of bounds quick, the sidelines is lined with casualties who sip to life casually, then gradually become worse, don't bite the apple, Eve
The bright lights of the city can be overwhelming, causing women to lose their way and become victims, the sidelines are marked with those who started engaging in vices casually, but it quickly destroyed their lives. Looking back to the story of Adam and Eve where she was tempted to eat the forbidden apple which lead to their downfall and banishment from the Garden of Eden

Caught up in the in-crowd, now you're in style, Anna Wintour gets cold, in Vogue with your skin out, city of sin, it's a pity on a whim, good girls gone bad, the city's filled with them
Getting caught up in the popular crowd can be cool, but Anna Wintour can quickly drop you out of popularity, the city has a reputation as a sinful and attractive place, where even good girls can be lead astray

Mommy took a bus trip, now she got her bust out, everybody ride her, just like a bus route, hail Mary to the city, you're a virgin, and Jesus can't save you, life starts when the church end
A mother might come to the city for just a bus ride, but instead becomes a streetwalker, where people ride her like a bus. Even though they pray for forgiveness like the Hail Mary prayer, living in the city without strong faith in God can lead to ruin

Came here for school, graduated to the high life, ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight, MDMA got you feelin' like a champion, the city never sleeps, better slip you an Ambien
People may come to New York just for education, but end up living a life of luxury, with pro athletes and musicians, becoming addicted to the glamorous lifestyle. MDMA or ecstasy drugs can make people feel invincible, but better take a sleeping pill before heading home

One hand in the air for the big city, street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty, no place in the world that could compare, put your lighters in the air, everybody say, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah' (I love New York)
Raise one hand in the air for the grandeur of the city, the street lights, and big dreams that are all attractive, no other place can compare, raise up your lighters and let's chant together that we love New York

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there's nothin' you can't do, I love New York, these streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you, let's hear it for New York, New York, New York
Recapping the chorus, stating that New York is can turn dreams into reality and there's nothing you can't achieve, personally expressing love for the city, the streets can make you feel like you're starting from scratch, the lights are inspiring, and let's give a triumphant shoutout to New York